The invention relates to seating, and more particularly it is directed to a suspended seat for a child.
Conventional seating assemblies for children, that are suspended, typically are mounted on an independent framework or can be clamped to the lintel of a door frame. Such suspended seat assemblies are also known as xe2x80x9cdoorway exercisesxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cJumpers.xe2x80x9d Such suspended seat assemblies typically will utilize extension springs or large rubber bands (a/k/a shock cords) to suspend the seat that holds the child from the supporting structure.
Various methods are employed to improve the aesthetics of the suspended seating assemblies and to minimize injury to the children in the event of failure of one or more parts of the suspended ceiling assembly. For instance, special plating and finishes have been applied to exposed springs. Fabric cords extending through the springs have been used to retain spring parts in the event of failure. One such assembly includes passing a strap through a tube which contains a compression spring with the tube coupled to the seat containing the child. As the seat moves up and down, the spring is compressed and decompressed as the tube moves with the seat, and it rubs and abrades the strap. Such movement can cause fraying and ultimate breakage of the strap, resulting in the spring, tube and related hardware falling down on top of the child seated in the suspended seat.
Thus, there is a need for a suspended seat for use by a child that will maintain the relatively heavy metal parts of the suspended seat in a fixed position relative to the movable seat. There is a further need for a suspended seat that, in the event of breakage of the movable strap suspending the seat, only that strap and the seat assembly will fall. There is also a need for a suspended seat that will easily and readily provide for replacement of parts.
There is provided a suspension assembly in a seat having a clamp for coupling the seat to a support and a seat assembly having a seat web. The suspension assembly comprises a web link having a link slot and being coupled to the clamp. A first web is configured in a closed loop and coupled to the web link through the link slot. A tube defining an interior cavity is provided, with the tube having a spring retainer on one end and an anchor pin on the other end. The anchor pin is threaded through the loop of the first web, wherein the tube is coupled to the web link. A spring is nested in the interior cavity of the tube against the spring retainer. A disk having a disk slot is coupled to a second web at one end of the second web. The other end of the second web is passed through the spring in the tube and coupled to a web spreader. The web spreader has a seat slot, wherein the seat web engages the seat slot to suspend the seat assembly. Another embodiment of the suspension assembly includes a cap configured to close the tube at one end, with the cap having a cap slot, wherein the loop of the first web is passed through the cap slot. A further embodiment of the suspension assembly can include an adjustment buckle coupled to the second web between the tube and the web spreader.
There is also provided a seat comprising a clamp and a web link having a link slot. The web link is coupled to the clamp. A first web is configured in a closed loop and is coupled to the web link through the link slot. A tube defining an interior cavity is also provided with the tube having a spring retainer on one end and an anchor pin on the other end. The anchor pin is threaded through the loop, wherein the tube is coupled to the web link. A spring is nested in the tube against the spring retainer. A disk having a disk slot is coupled to one end of a second web with the other end of the web passing through the spring in the tube and coupled to a web spreader. The web spreader is provided with a seat slot. A seat assembly is coupled to the web spreader by a seat web.
There is also provided a suspension assembly in a child seat having a clamp for coupling the seat to a support and a seat assembly having a seat web. The suspension assembly comprises a means for linking having a link slot. The means for linking is coupled to the clamp. A first means for suspending is configured in a closed loop and coupled to the means for linking through the link slot. A tube defining an interior cavity is also provided, with the tube having a means for retaining the spring on one end and an anchor pin on the other end. The anchor pin is threaded through the loop, wherein the tube is coupled to the means for linking. A spring is nested in the tube against the means for retaining the spring. A disk having a disk slot is coupled to a second means for suspending. The other end of the second means for suspending is passed through the spring in the tube and coupled to a means for spreading. The means for spreading has a seat slot, wherein the seat web engages the seat slot to suspend the seat assembly.